Krisha and Manchester By the Sea- Films about the traumatic past, the ghosts of terrible mistakes, and how hard it is to come home again.

Elle and The Handmaiden- Films that find feminist agency and caustic humor in seemingly lurid material

I Am Not Your Negro and O.J. Simpson: Made In America- Two of the year's best documentaries and possibly the two best ever made on the subject of American race relations. If you are going to undertake these 9 bruising, edifying hours, watch I Am Not Your Negro first to see the civil rights context in which O.J. Simpson refused to participate. This is also advisable for chronological reasons.

Cameraperson and Kubo and the Two Strings- These two may not instantly seem like kindred spirits but they both hang heavy with the loss of a loved one and they delve into how creating and shaping narratives helps people cope with loss of all shapes and sizes.

Sunset Song and The Witch- Two very different films about two women living in very different times and places. Both live in patriarchal societies that seek to constrain them. Both learn how to survive, thrive, and eventually shape their own destiny.